Means for removing snow and ice from windshields



Dec. 1l, 1928,

L. M. SPENCER MEANS FOR REMOVING sNow AND ICE FROM wIN'DsHIELDs Filed oct. l10. 1925 'Patented y Dec. 1 1, 1928. I

' f UNITED STATE/sl y y 91,694,757 PATENT' OFFICE.

LOUIS M. SPENCER, OF DETROIT, MICHIGN, ASSIGNORSTO GENERAL- MOTORS CR- PORATION, 0F DETROIT, MIIiHIQG'AJil', A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE. l

MEANS Iron. nnnovINe sNow AND ron rnom wrNnsnrELns. i

Application 'med October 10,1925.y Serial No. 61,827.

l This invention relates to means for removing ice and snow from vthewindshields of automotive vehicles and, incidentally thereto, likewise to means `for heating the space u occupied by the passengers or driver. In 4a desirable embodiment thereof, as set f rth in detail herein, l utilize the usual enine coolingfan to direct a blast of'air, heated by passing no melted and ice and snow striking thereagainst v quickly slides down out of the line of vision or is swept away rby the cleaner bar--this, moreover, without undue warmth in the space occupied by passengers or driver; v

25@ To thisvend and for the furtherpurpose of concealing the parts, ll preferably lead od from a car heater yof a well known type a.

conduit or assage which is arranged to project upwar ly between the instrument board so or panel and the cowl su port' which'extends across the body from side to side slightly 'forward of said panel; and in this passage l place .a valve whereby the discharge of heated air against the inner 'surface of the'glass meyl beregulated.`

ie invention 1s especially adapted for use in connection with one-piecewindshields of the type nowrecently come into common use and inV which the extent qflift of Ithe glass is insucient to 'permit the driver to see thereunder, but it may be applied to other shields, either movable or immovable.

Both the construction and operation will be better understood'from the accompanying drawings, in which: f i

-ligure l is a sectional view through an auimobile showing one form of the device; an L f Figure 2 is a planview, partly in section, of Figure l.

Referrlng -to the drawings, an automobile 1l isv shown provided with a cowl sup ort 13 upon which -a one-piece windshiel `l5 seats when inclosed position. Asealing strip 17 is shown betweenthe`l windshield and supclosely vabout the exhaust manifold, lo upwardly 'and forwardly against the inner '23 which is not visible to the occupants of port. The usual windshield operating mechanism is shown at 19 for raising or lowering the windshield. With the one-piece type windshield the glass cannot be raised far enough for the driver to see' the road without looking through the glass, the open space being for ventilation. In cold,'rainy weather moisture collects on the windshield and the drivers vision is obscured.

A windshield cleaner 2l is shown for removing moisture on theexterior of the windshield. At freezing temperature the cleaner y fails to remove' the frozen moisture and at times is inoperative, being frozen in the ice. To overcome this difficulty a conduit 23 is arranged-to direct heated air against the interior of the windshield.

A panel 25, in the form of a dash, is spaced from the cowl support 13 providing a space 27 for the purpose of, ventilation when 75 the windshield is raised admitting fresh air to the interior of the car. rlhis space 27 provides a convenient place to mount the conduit the car.

A heater 29, surrounding the exhaust man#v ifold 3l of an Vengine 32, is .open at its for-V ward end as at 33 adjacent the usual fan 35., rlhe opposite end of the heater is open 'at its rear end and provided with shutters 37. lt S5 l `will be understood that air passing through 'theheaten caused by the fan or forward movement of the car, will be heated by the exhaust manifold and warm the interior of the car. vrlihe conduit 23 is in communication with the heater as at 39 so that some of the heated air enters the conduit 23. The surface 4:1 of the heater is shown inclined to aid in directing the heated air through the` conduit. The opposite or upper end 43 of the conduit is shown expanded and flattened to distribute the heated air over a larger portion of the windshield. A valve 4:5, located inthe conduit, regulates the amount ofI heated air desired. s

lf desired, the conduit 23 may terminate at the lower portion of the open space 27 to .direct the heated air tothe full surface of not necessary to completely melt e ice when the heat is applied to the Tinte al sur ace as a little heat will loosen it, butwhen heat is applied to the extrnalsurface more heat is required. The internal heating also removes and prevents condensation on either `side of the windshield thus 'giving the driver a clear vision, at..allti1nes as well as a windshield which can be easily raised or lowered without tendency-to jam through accumulation of ice thereon. u

While one illustrative embodiment of my invention h'asbeen described at length; it is not my. intention to limit its scopevby fthe above description, or otherwise than by the terms of the appended claims.

kI claim: ,y f

1. In a device of tlieclass described, the combination with an automobile having a cowl support, a panel spaced therefrom, a Windshield, a heater, a'conduit having one end in communication with said heater and the opposite end extending between vsaid support and said panel adapted to direct heated, air a}g ai1rst the internal surface of said/v winds ie .f

' l2. kIn a device of. the class described, the sociated therewith formingadownwardly excombination with an automobile having a cowl support, a panel spaced therefrom, a windshield, a heater, and a conduithaving one end communicating with` said. heater and the opposite`A end expanded laterally andV extendin v between said usu port. and

said panel a apted to direct leated air 'against the internalsurface ofsaid wind-l shield.

3. In a motor vehicle,"a cowla panel, a

therefroin and extending above the lower` edge of said section wh` n' the latter is in lowered position, 'whereby the forward portion .of the body may be ventilated, a heater deriving heat from the engine and comprisingF a conduit'extending vupwardly between said 'paneland said `cowl to a point below the upper` ed e of said panel to disehargewarm air upwar ly along the inner face/of said section.i

5. A motorvehicle comprising incombination a transparent windshield and means astending passage through which air is delivered downwardly to theiinterior of the'vehicle, and al o forming a second conduit' `through whic heated air is delivered up'- 6 vsfardly along the inner face of the windshield. In testimony whereof I allix my signature.`

yLOUIS M. SPENCER.v t 

